Happy Endings
by LilyEvansLily
Summary: Lily Evans and Severus Snape in a romance with a happy ending. He had such a bad time of it in canon, I wanted to improve it a little. it starts when they meet at 9 but will carry on into a romance, so rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Happy Endings**

**Chapter 1: Summer 1969 (Part 1)**

"Mum, I'm bored!"

"Petunia, how on Earth can you be bored already? It's the first day of your summer holidays."

"Well, I am. Can I go to the park please?"

"Yes, as long as you take your sister. Take that look off your face. You can take your pocket money to the park and stay there for the afternoon while I sort the house out."

Lily's eyes brightened a little at this. She was 9 and a half and felt ready to go to the local park by herself. Mum had finally listened to her! She was going to get to the park, just her and Petunia, who had left their primary school and was preparing for secondary school.

"I'm ready, Tuney!"

Severus was also in the park today. He was in his den, where he sat every time he managed to leave his little, grim house in Spinners End. He loved sitting in the cool, green shade of the clutch of trees that he had adopted as his den. He saw the two girls as they entered the park. He saw the beautiful, red-headed girl chattering excitedly to the taller one. She took his breath away. She was absolutely beautiful. He crept a little further to the edge of his den to try and hear what she was saying.

…"Oh, Tuney, big school! Aren't you excited? I've got ages to wait."

"Shut up, Lily! You're such a baby, wittering on and on. Now make yourself scarce, I want to sit in the sun and read my magazine."

Severus saw the taller girl shove his Lily – _his Lily? _– and he saw her fall and scrape her knee on the path just outside his den.

Petunia didn't stay to see a tall, thin, dark-haired boy help her sister to her feet and ask how she was.

"Are you okay? Who was that girl?"

Lily tried to hold back the tears, she really did. After all, she wasn't a baby, despite what Tuney said. She dabbed at her knee and her eyes with her handkerchief, "I'm okay," she sniffed and rubbed the tears away. "Thank you very much for helping me up. I'm Lily. That was my sister, Petunia. She's annoyed because today is the first time our mother has let me come over here without her and has sort of made Petunia bring me."

"May I see your knee, Lily? Does it hurt?"

Lily winced as his long fingers stroked her knee gently. "A little," she gasped in surprise when she saw her scraped knee stop bleeding and slowly knit itself back together leaving just a small red mark behind. "That was like magic…erm I'm sorry I forgot to ask your name." She realised with a slight blush that she hadn't asked her saviour's name.

"Severus, I'm Severus Snape." Why had his mouth gone so dry when he desperately wanted to impress this beautiful creature in front of him?

"Well, Severus, let me buy you an ice cream to say thank you. I've been saving my pocket money since Easter."

Petunia looked up to see her freak of a sister buying an ice cream for a lanky, scruffy urchin. She tutted, rolled her eyes and went back to reading her magazine.

Lily and Severus played all afternoon on the swings - they seemed to be able to swing unnaturally high, Severus showed Lily his den and Lily showed Severus how to make daisy chains.

"Oh no," Lily exclaimed and furrowed her brow in such an endearing way – _stop it, Severus _– "we're one short."

Lily reached behind Severus and picked a daisy where the petals weren't quite open yet. Severus' eyes widened as he saw the petals open in her hand. Magic! She can do magic!

Lily finished her daisy chain and placed it on Severus' head. She looked into Severus' face and only when she saw the expression of surprise there did it seem to dawn on her what she had done. She paled and clapped her hand to her mouth. He clasped her on the upper arms, leaned in close and tried to reassure her. "Lily, you're a witch."

"How rude! I thought we were going to be friends, Severus."

"We can be. I'm not being rude. I mean that you can do magic. I can too and my mum. Meet me here tomorrow and I'll prove it to you."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here it is – chapter 2. Just a small warning, Lily gets her first introduction to the world of magic. Lily and Severus will be friends for a while before romance blossoms.**

**I thought I'd add a disclaimer that I do not own Harry Potter, its characters or recognisable elements, I'm just playing with them.**

**Chapter 2 – Lily Meets Eileen**

**Summer 1969 (Part 2)**

Severus had never been happier to return home. He ran all the way with a huge smile on his face. Eileen saw him bolt up the path and through the front door.

"Mum, mum, there was a pretty girl at the park and she's like us, she can do magic and I said she can come over and we'll help her 'cus her sister's horrible and…"

"Severus, my boy, slow down. A girl, you say?" she asked with a slight teasing tone.

"Yes, mum. She's beautiful." said Severus, with a slight blush appearing on his pale face. "She can do magic. She made the petals on a flower open."

"Alright, dear, we'll have her over while your father's at work. We don't want to upset him do we?"

Severus knew better than to mention magic in front of his father. When Tobias first met Eileen Prince, he didn't believe in magic. Eileen kept her magical abilities from him until the day he wanted to meet her mother and father to ask for her hand in marriage – which did not go well. She had to explain to him about their world. He was not happy; in fact he was livid that she had kept something like this from him. As time went on, this resentment grew and festered and whenever Tobias encountered any sort of bad luck, he always blamed Eileen, and lately, Severus.

Both Severus and Lily were too excited to sleep much that night.

Severus made a list of things he wanted to tell Lily and sorted out some things he wanted to show to her.

Lily sorted out her old book of fairy tales. She wanted to ask her new friend and his mother if any of it were true.

When Lily had finally dropped off, she dreamed of all things magical. She awoke to another sunny day and was very excited about the day ahead. When her mother got up she reminded her about going to Severus' house.

"Hmm, I'm not sure sweetie. I don't really want you going to a stranger's house. Maybe his parents don't know about this little arrangement."

"Oh, but mum, you said I could go!"

"Lily, don't whine. Do you know where he lives? Maybe I could take you there and talk to his mother?"

"Thanks mum!"

After what seemed like an eternity, Lily's mother was finally ready and they left the house to walk around the corner into Spinners End. "Number 20, he said…here we are." Lily said as they came to the Snapes house. She suddenly felt very nervous as she knocked on the front door.

After a few moments, Eileen came to the door. "Hello, my dear, you must be Lily. And you must be Lily's mother? Come in, come in. I've made tea."

Lily and her mother stepped inside the small house and followed Eileen into the kitchen.

"I'm so pleased you were expecting us. You know how children can be sometimes," Lily's mother said to Eileen.

"Indeed," said the darker-haired woman. "Severus, Lily and her mother are here," she called up the stairs.

Severus ran down them two at a time. "Hello, Lily, Mrs Evans," said Severus politely. He desperately wanted Lily's mother to like him. The children played in the small garden while their mothers finished their tea. Mrs Evans said she would be back to fetch Lily at 4 and left them.

Eileen immediately became more businesslike. "So, Lily, my son says you can do magic."

Lily gulped, "Erm, I think so. I can make things happen by wishing hard. Is that the same thing?"

"Pretty much, at this stage," Eileen responded. The woman however knew that the redheaded girl was magical. She had fire called her father last night when her husband had passed out drunk. Mr. Prince was a very active member of the wizarding world and had access to the Records and Registers of Magical People. She had given the girl's name and he had confirmed her name was on the Register. Lily Evans was a witch.

"Mum, can we show her some potions?" Severus asked eagerly.

Eileen chuckled at her son's enthusiasm. "Not today, son; we need to tell Lily the basics first."

Lily sat transfixed as Severus and Eileen told her all about Hogwarts and Gringotts, unicorns and dragons, riding brooms and apparition. "Do you have any questions, my dear?" Eileen asked.

"Well, yes, I do actually," she said shyly as she opened her book of fairy tales. "How much of this is true?"

Eileen flipped through the pages looking all the titles of the stories "Cinderella's fairy godmother – the local witch; Sleeping Beauty – draught of the living dead; Pinocchio – transfiguration; Snow White – those aren't dwarves, they're house elves; there's a lot of truth in here."

Lily had loved her time with the Snapes; unfortunately, her mother was here to collect her.

When Severus saw how her face had fallen, he put his arm around her and said, "Don't worry, you can come again next week and we'll do some more magic stuff."

So, Lily spent every Tuesday with Eileen and Severus learning everything she could about the wizarding world.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm so sorry it's been so long between updates. Real life has been keeping me busy.****In the meantime, Severus and Lily had to go back to primary school and not see each other so often. They've done a whole term and now that they have broken up for the Christmas holidays they can meet up more often again. In this chapter we meet Tobias, who will be horrid. He will be swearing, hence my rating of "M". Anyway, on with the story…**

**Chapter 3 – Merry Christmas**

**Christmas 1969**

The Evans girls were trimming the tree in the living room and arguing over what music to listen to while doing so.

"I'm not listening to baby music."

"It's not baby music, it's our Christmas record. We always listen to it when we're putting up the Christmas tree."

"Well, maybe it's about time we had some new music. I'm putting my Rolling Stones record on."

Lily let her sister win and got on with putting the decorations on the tree. She wanted to take the mine pies she had made that morning to Severus and Eileen.

Severus' Christmas holiday was starting with arguments as well, but between his mother and father instead.

"You stupid bint! What the fuck have you done with all my money? I work my fucking bollocks off in that mine and you waste my money on a pissing tree and a scrawny turkey."

Severus heard an almighty crash and concluded that the scrawny turkey had been thrown at the pissing tree in anger.

"I'm going to the pub. Get that lazy bastard out of bed as well. The house is a fucking mess. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, useless bitch."

Severus waited to hear the door slam before easing himself out of bed. His ribs hurt worse this morning than they had last night when his father had punched him for "being in the fucking way, as usual." He got downstairs to see his mother on her hands and knees, crying silently.

"Oh, I'm so sorry Severus."

"It's not your fault, Mum. It's his fault."

He rummaged in the drawer with the wooden spoons for his mother's wand and presented it to her.

She gave him a small, sad smile and waved it in the general direction of the mess her husband had created. The tree righted itself and the turkey floated back into the roasting tin and back to the kitchen.

Eileen slipped the wand back into the drawer and gave her son his tea and toast and a small vial. "For your ribs and that black eye," she said sadly, pulling his hair away from his face to get a better look at the damage.

Severus had forgotten about his black eye; he swallowed the potion his mother had stayed up to brew for him and started on his toast and tea when the doorbell rang.

Lily!

Lily came into the kitchen where Severus was finishing off his breakfast. He'd forgotten how beautiful she could look. Her cheeks pink from the cold, her auburn hair peeking out from underneath her dark green bobble hat, her smile…beautiful.

Severus had to remind himself to chew, swallow, breathe. "Hello, Lily. What have you got there?"

"Hi Sev, I made some mince pies for you and I couldn't wait to bring them over and what's happened to your eye?!"

"Oh. Erm…"

"Was it that group of boys from the park?" She looked even more beautiful when she was indignant.

"Oh, no, I walked into the door when I was half asleep last night. It's nothing," Severus lied easily. He was used to covering for his father.

Lily narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "If you're sure, Sev."

Severus nodded and mumbled around his last mouthful of toast.

"I've missed our lessons but I've been practicing writing with the quill like you said, Mrs. Snape."

"Good, well done, Lily."

Lily blushed at the praise. "Thank you. I really enjoy it. I've told my mum, dad and Petunia that I've joined the calligraphy club at school so I can practise more. Ooh, I've got to go, we've got to go and see Grandma and Grandpa Evans."

"Oh, well, goodbye dear. Thank you for the mince pies and merry Christmas. Severus, would you see Lily out, dear?"

As Severus and Lily walked through the living room, he thought he heard the drawer in the kitchen open. When they reached the front door and Severus saw the mistletoe hung there, he knew that he heard the drawer open. Meddling mothers!

"Oh, Sev, mistletoe!"

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Lily took a step towards him. She lifted herself up on her tiptoes. She closed her eyes. Pursed her lips and kissed him. She had kissed him! Lily Evans had kissed him ever so softly. On the lips! Severus had a new favourite plant. Merlin bless mistletoe!

"Bye Sevvy. Merry Christmas."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's an update. I'm so sorry to leave you lovely people waiting a week for an update. RL is being mean and not letting me play with Severus & Lily as much as I'd like to. I've also fast-forwarded to them receiving their Hogwarts letters. Every time I tried to pin the plot bunnies down to provide filler they kept wriggling away so I just went along with them in the end. So, without further ado, I present chapter 4:**

**Chapter 4 – Hogwarts Letters**

**January 1971**

A week before Lily's eleventh birthday, a stranger knocked on the Evans' door. And he really could be no stranger. He was almost as wide as he was tall, he wore a deep plum suit, highly polished brown shoes and was carrying a very thick parchment envelope sealed with red wax.

Mrs Evans answered the door. "Hello, can I help you?"

The strange man answered in a deep voice, "I rather think you can. May I speak to Lily please? I have a letter for her here that I need to deliver to her personally and I will probably need to explain the letter."

Mrs Evans allowed the man into her home, sat him in the living room while she went to get Lily.

"Here she is, Mr…sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

"Slughorn, dear, my name is Horace Slughorn."

"Mr. Slughorn would you like some tea while Lily reads her letter."

"Yes please, my dear and cake? Do you have any cake?"

Lily could hardly contain her excitement. She knew what was in that envelope as soon as she had set eyes upon it. Her Hogwarts letter had arrived! She carefully prised up the wax seal and took out the parchment pages. She absorbed and savoured every word of this glorious letter. She was vaguely aware of her mother bringing in a tea tray with the good cups and saucers and she had even plated up the Battenberg cake she had been saving for Grandma Evans' visit on Sunday.

"So, what's in your letter Lily?"

"It's a letter from Hogwarts."  
"Isn't that the school that Severus is going to? I've heard you two whispering about it."

At this point, Horace Slughorn cleared his throat and said "If I may intervene here, Mrs. Evans, your daughter also has a place at Hogwarts. You must have noticed that she can make some very remarkable things happen when she wants to."

Mrs Evans got noticeably paler. "I had thought I was imagining things or that it was just coincidence."

"No, my dear, Lily has some very powerful magic. She will make a very formidable witch when she is properly trained." Horace Slughorn stayed for as long as it took to explain to Mrs. Evans and Lily all about Hogwarts and the wizarding world, Gringotts and Diagon Alley; and also to finish off the Battenberg.

"If that's everything," Horace said as he stood up, looking at the tea tray just to check the Battenberg had all gone. "I have another call to make while I'm in the area. I heard you mention Severus, would that be Severus Snape, son of Eileen Prince?"

"Yes, well she's Eileen Snape now, but yes, they live just around the corner."  
"Thank you, my dear. I shall see you in September, Lily, and I'm so pleased to hear that you have been practicing some potions already."  
Lily's cheeks blushed slightly at the praise from her soon-to-be Potions Master.

As Slughorn approached the Snape's house, he thought the Muggle woman must have pointed him in the wrong direction. There is no way the heir to the Prince fortune would live here. It was so small and rundown.

He knocked on the door of his once-favourite student. When she answered, he could hardly believe his eyes. She was barely recognisable, she was so thin and looked as tough she had the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"Eileen," he said softly, "Is that a black eye?"

He saw the characteristic shimmer of a glamour being applied. "No," she replied hastily. "It must have been the shadows. Come in, Professor Slughorn. This is a nice surprise. We were expecting Severus' letter to come by owl,"

"Well, I was in the area, delivering a letter to one of your neighbours, Lily Evans. Nice girl. She said you'd been helping her with potions. You'll put me out of a job."

Severus heard a man's voice from downstairs and for a moment he was terrified that his father was back. It was never good if his father was home in the day. He crept to the top of the stairs and heard the man talking about potions. His heart leapt in relief! He ran down the stairs two at a time. His Hogwarts letter! He had been so worried that it would never arrive.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So, here is chapter 5. I'm sorry it's taking a while to update. I have discovered that the children's six weeks holidays is not an ideal time to write! Hopefully, from mid-September, when they are both at school and my house move is complete I can update as quickly as I'd like to. **

**Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, and subscribed. **

**A few notes about the chapter - we are going to meet Eileen's parents, discover why they don't help her get away from Tobias and Lily is going to be introduced to more of the wizarding world.**

**I have put in a mirror that is a bit like the mirror of Erised and I was inspired by the mirror in Scales of Balance by One Red Shoe. It's not as naughty, however. If you haven't read Scales of Balance by One Red Shoe then I suggest you check it out, just as soon as you've read Chapter 5 of my story!**

**Chapter 5**

**Spring 1971**

The Easter holidays were here and both Severus and Lily were in good spirits. Neither of them had school to worry about, they had chocolate and each other.

Eileen was showing the children the bases needed for several "store-cupboard basic" potions. They were mostly made of herbs she grew in the garden, as money for potions ingredients bought from an apothecary was very hard to come by.

"That's it Lily, chop that mint finely. Try and get the pieces as small as you can."

Lily let out a piercing scream.

Both Severus and Eileen looked at her bewildered. She was staring open-mouthed and pale-faced into the fireplace of the magically extended pantry where the potions were being brewed.

"A man's head…there's a man's head…in the fireplace…"

Severus and Eileen followed her trembling finger to see what had caused her so much concern.

"Grandpa!" shouted Severus. He hurried over to kneel in front of the fireplace and proceeded to stick his head right into the flames! Eileen thought she would have to give the girl a calming draught.

"It's all right, dear. It's just the way wizards talk to each other. It's a bit like a telephone."

Lily just nodded. She didn't think she was capable of anything else.

Severus pulled his head out of the fireplace, sat back on his heels and looked around to his mother and Lily. "Grandpa asked if we're still going to Prince Manor tomorrow and asked if you were free too Lily?"

"I'd love to Sev, but what will I say to my mum?"

"I'll ask her Lily," Eileen offered.

So that was how Lily came to be stood at the end of a large drive looking up at a large, impressive house in her best frock.

Eileen discreetly used her wand to open the gates.

Lily took a deep breath and took Severus' pale, elegant hand in her small, clammy one.

Severus thought his heart would burst. Lily was holding his hand!

As they reached the front door, it slowly opened and the small group entered a dimly lit hallway.

Severus and Eileen had prepared Lily for the fact that she may see strange creatures called house elves but what caught her eye was a large, gilt-framed mirror next to the staircase. She could see Eileen next to her, but her face and arms were covered in bruises. Lily took a second look at the real Eileen before looking at mirror Eileen again; the bruises were only there in the mirror. She could see herself and Severus, however in the mirror; they seemed to be standing a little closer together. Before she could analyse this too much, there was a tiny pop next to her and a small figure in a fancy apron stood next to her. "Hello Mistress Lily, Master Severus, Mistress Eileen. Indigo is to take you through to the conservatory."

"Lead the way, Indigo," said Severus to the tiny, purple-eyed house elf.

As the walked to the conservatory, Lily asked Severus about the mirror in the hallway.

"It's enchanted," Severus whispered to her, "It can see through any magic placed on a person, any curses, potions, glamours, etcetera and will show you exactly as a person is."

Before Lily could respond, they had reached the conservatory where Severus' grandparents were waiting for them.

Severus ran to embrace his grandparents. His grandmother hugged him tightly and called over his shoulder, "Sit down ladies. Your tea will get cold."

Eileen and Lily sat on the dark green settee opposite the white-haired couple.

"Come on Severus, let's get the brooms out, while the ladies have a natter," Lord Prince said affectionately to his grandson.

"Do you mind Lily? It's been almost a year since I've been on a broom," said Severus by way of explanation.

Lily smiled. "No, Sev, I don't mind."

While Severus and his grandfather flew exuberantly around Prince Manor under various concealment and Notice-Me-Not charms, the ladies were sat in the conservatory drinking tea and chatting.

"So Lily," began Lady Prince as she turned her shrewd gaze to the small, red-haired girl sat opposite her. "Are you looking forward to attending Hogwarts? What do your parents think of it all?"

"Well, Lady Prince, they are a bit unsure of what to make of it that at the moment. Professor Slughorn explained a lot when he came over to deliver my letter."

"My dear, you must call me Julia, and I can't believe that blithering gas-bag is still employed there, I really can't."

Lily and Eileen both laughed at Julia's description of the Potions Master.

"Mother, I'm just going to the bathroom," interjected Eileen.

"Yes, dear and while you're there, don't bother applying that inadequate glamour. You know full well it is of no use here."

"Glamour?" questioned Lily.

"Yes, it is something foolish witches use when they choose good-for-nothing drunk wife-beaters to make a home with," stated the no-nonsense matriarch.

Eileen left the room very shame-faced. Lily was still none the wiser, to tell the truth.

"You noticed my mirror in the entrance hall?"

Lily nodded her head.

"You noticed it wasn't an ordinary mirror didn't you?

Again, Lily nodded.

"What did you see in it, child?"

"Well, I saw myself and Severus in it and we looked pretty much the same but Eileen was all covered in bruises, or so it looked anyway."  
"That is what her husband is doing to her, and on occasion, Severus. I am powerless to stop it. When a witch or a wizard marries, the family is magically prevented from interfering with the marriage in any way. While she stays with that awful man, she will be treated this way. I saw it in my mirror the one and only time he came here."

Eileen came back into the room looking pale, drawn and the bruises now visible, tears of shame in her eyes.

Lily vowed to help Eileen and Severus get rid of Tobias. She would do whatever it took.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I'm so sorry I have been terrible at updating. If you're still reading, then thank you for sticking with me. We've got a chapter where we get our pair set up for Hogwarts. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 6 – Diagon Alley**

**August 1971**

Lily stood outside her best friend's house clutching her roll of parchment detailing what she would need for her first year at Hogwarts. She was apprehensive and more than a little excited.

Severus had watched her approach from when she first turned the corner onto Spinner's End. The summer sun dancing on her beautiful auburn hair, she took his breath away. He ran down the stairs and opened the door to let her in. His mother sighed in exasperation. "Severus, I wish you wouldn't run down those stairs."

"Sorry, Mum, but Lily's here.

He opened the door to let her in and together they stood in front of the small fireplace in the living room of the Snape house.

"Do you have your list, son?"

"Yes, mum."

"Good. I'll see you later. Be a good boy for your gran, won't you?"

"Always, mum," her son answered.

Severus reached inside one of the small pots on the mantelpiece and took a pinch of what Lily had recently learned was called Floo Powder. He threw it into the fireplace and called out "Prince Mansion." Lily was incredibly nervous at having to step into the fire so she held Severus' hand and they stepped through together.

Lily had her eyes shut tight the entire time; Severus couldn't keep his eyes off her.

Julia Prince heard the Floo activate and entered the library to see her grandson and Lily Evans holding hands in the fireplace. Lily still had her eyes screwed up and Severus was staring at her with an openly loving expression on his thin, pale face.

Julia took in the scene for a few seconds before calling out, "Hello, children. Are you ready?"

Lily cracked one eye open and when she caught sight of the books, her eyes flew wide open. All those books!

"Hello Julia"  
"Hello Gran"

The matriarch smiled at the children, called out for her husband, grabbed her handbag and they were all back in the Floo on the way to Diagon Alley.

"Right then, let's get this Muggle money changed into good, old Galleons before we make a start on those lists."

"Sev," whispered Lily. "Are we going to see the goblins now at the bank?"

"Yes," he muttered back. "Don't be afraid though. I'll be here."

Lily was so stunned at seeing Gringotts architecture she forgot she was feeling nervous and managed to get quite a lot of galleons for her money. Severus' grandparents were buying Severus' school supplies so he didn't have to worry about going to his father for money.

"Madam Malkin's next and you can get your quills and ink from Amanuensis next-door. Scribbulus has really gone downhill ever since his children took over."

The children were ushered into Madam Malkin's to be measured up for their robes and cloaks. They chose their hats and dragon hide gloves while they were there too.

"You're lucky you've come shopping early Madam Prince, I have all of this in stock. There's no need to wait."

Severus' grandfather shrunk the packages with a wave of his hand and placed them in his pockets.

The group headed to the shop next door where a small wizard with tufts of white hair over his ears helped them pick out parchment, ink and quills.

"Gran, can we get our cauldrons now?" asked Severus, excitedly.

She smiled at him indulgently and answered, "Of course, love, as if we'd forget those!"

Lily was amazed at the towers of cauldrons outside the shop and was extremely proud of the shiny pewter cauldron that she could call her own as she exited the shop.

By the time they'd visited Flourish & Blott's for their books and Wiseacre's for their telescopes, scales and phials they were loaded down and worn out. The Princes treated the children to a sundae of their choice at Fortescue's which Lily found delicious.

"So, what's left to get, children?" asked Severus' grandfather.

"Well, our wands and a familiar, if we like. I can't decide between an owl and a cat," answered Severus.

Julia added, "Right, Ollivander's first, then on to Eeylops and Magical Menagerie. I will take care of the familiars until you're ready to go. If your father gets hold of them…" She didn't need to finish, Severus knew what his grandmother was getting at.

Mr. Ollivander welcomed them into the shop with open arms and managed to get Lily her wand in a couple of tries.

"Here we are Miss Evans, 10 ¼ inches, willow and dragon heart string. It should be good for charms, if I'm not mistaken."

Severus was more of a tricky customer. They tried birch, black walnut and ebony before deciding on a silver lime wand with a dragon heart string.

"You have a very bright mind there, young man. Silver lime wands are best suited to cerebral witches and wizards with a proclivity for legilimency and occlumency," said Mr. Ollivander as he was packaging it up.

Severus left Eeylops with a large tawny owl in a large travelling cage.

Lily fell in love with a jet black half-kneazle kitten in Magical Menagerie.

Both children fell into a deep sleep that night full of dreams of magic and friendship.

**A/N: If anyone has any ideas for names for the pets/familiars, I'd be grateful for the input. I hope to not leave it so long between updates again. Bad me!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: So, here is Chapter 7. I'm sorry for the wait, we've had birthdays and all sorts that have been distracting me.**

**Chapter 7**

Lily and Severus had spent the six week holiday packing and repacking their trunks, reading their Hogwarts books and visiting their familiars who they had named after Greek goddesses – Severus' owl was named Iris after the Greek messenger goddess and Lily's kneazle had been christened Artemis after the Greek goddess of hunting and wildlife. Severus' grandmother had taken great care of them and they were to be taken straight to Hogwarts by her in time for the children's arrival.

The morning of September the first had dawned clear and bright. Severus had spent the summer trying to keep away from Tobias; unfortunately Tobias had come home after a particularly drunken night out last night and had beaten Eileen and Severus.

Severus woke up and when he realised what day it was had jumped out of bed a little too quickly for his bruised ribs and ran downstairs.

"Morning, Mum. Merlin, I hate him. I'm glad he's at work today."

"Severus, don't badmouth you father," retorted Eileen in a rather half-hearted manner. "Now, I've telephoned Mr. Evans and told him I'm not very well and asked him if he wouldn't mind taking you to Kings Cross for me. I have enough energy to _Episkey_ your ribs and nose, but I won't have enough to maintain a glamour to cover my own bruises. He agreed and he'll be here at eight, so eat your toast."

Lily had woken very early and by the time she was knocking on Severus' door she was a bundle of excitement; so much so that she nearly knocked him off his feet when she hugged him fiercely.

"Oh, Sev, the day's finally arrived. How's your mum? Dad said she wasn't very well."

"She's upstairs, she's gone back to bed. I can owl her later to let her know I've got there okay."

The journey to London passed with Lily chattering excitedly away about everything she was looking forward to seeing and doing. Before long, the group had arrived at Kings Cross, the children had said goodbye to Lily's parents as they couldn't pass through the magical barrier to platform 9 ¾ to see them onto the train.

Severus secured a trolley for the trunks and they set off through the busy station to the wall between platforms 9 and 10.

"Are you ready, Lil? We'll go through together on the count of three…one…two…three…"  
Lily closed her eyes and ran straight at the wall. When she opened them, she was stood on a busy, smoky platform in front of a magnificent, scarlet steam engine.

The children manoeuvred their trunks into an empty compartment and stowed them away under the seats and sat down.

It wasn't long before the train started to move off. After a short while a tall, handsome boy with white blond hair and a shiny Prefect badge entered their compartment.

"Ah, good morning," he said in his aristocratic sounding, clipped tones. "I'm Lucius Malfoy, seventh year Slytherin prefect. I have here two first years who do not have a compartment to sit in. Can they sit in here with you?"

"Yes, certainly," said Severus.

"Potter, Black, in here. Do try to behave yourselves for the rest of the journey," admonished Lucius before sitting the boys down, and placing their trunks for them using his 18" elm wand. As soon as he had shut the compartment door the boys launched into rowdy impressions of Lucius, complete with flicks of imaginary blond hair.

"Nice one, James. He's courting one of my cousins; I could end up related to him. What a fop!"

"Slytherins shouldn't be given positions of authority. I'm hoping to get into Gryffindor, 'where dwell the brave of heart!' What about you Sirius?"

"Yeah, I'm hoping for Gryffindor too, that'll really peeve my mum. What about you two?" He looked over at Lily and Severus.

"My mum's family have been Slytherin from the times of the founders, so I think I'd like to carry on the tradition."

"Oh no, Sirius, we're trapped on the train with a greasy snake!"

The taunts lasted the entire journey.

Severus and Lily felt relieved when the train pulled into Hogsmeade station. Lily was a little afraid of Hagrid at first but that soon passed. Severus made sure to choose a boat far away from Potter and Black for the journey across the lake into Hogwarts itself.

As they reached the shore, Severus held Lily's hand to steady her out of the boat and she held on to him all the way through the nerve-wracking wait with Professor McGonagall before the Sorting.

The children were led into the Great Hall and up to the front where they were sorted in alphabetical order. Severus felt relieved when Black was placed in Gryffindor, but his unease started to build as they progressed through the alphabet.

"Evans, Lily," called Professor McGonagall and Lily lightly squeezed Severus' hand and walked slowly up where the ragged Sorting Hat on her head. It only took a moment for Severus' heart to fall into his boots when the Sorting Hat announced Lily was to be placed in Gryffindor.

The rest of the Sorting passed in a blur. He neither heard nor cared where anyone else was sorted. When his own turn came up he squared off his shoulders and walked up to be Sorted in what he knew would be a house away from Lily.

He couldn't muster any excitement when the Sorting Hat placed him in Slytherin. He walked to the Slytherin house table and sat down next to Lucius Malfoy so he could be near to Lily. He chatted to them both during the feast.

On the way down to the dungeons, Lucius expressed an interest in Lily. Severus told him how they met and was assured that he "no longer needed to sully himself with mudbloods, he could find himself a nice pureblood girl." Severus felt too despondent to argue and just went to bed.

Little did he know that Lily felt just as sad as he did at their separation.

**A/N: Sorry it's a bit depressing. What did you guys think of James & Sirius? **


End file.
